Ok, I finally have something. Please keep in mind that this
picture may be so visually stimulating that it may cause more than a
few gasps of disbelief.

But before we get to the picture, a little background.
Lights, please?

A few days ago, our friends came over for a little pre-holiday
get-together. Presents were exchanged, but that wasn't the
best part. Laughs were shared, but that isn't why I'm writing.
My entry today is about the introduction of one little kitty and one
tiny puppy.

While the picture describes it the best, I should mention that
our cat may have missed his calling. It appears to me that he
should have been a prize fighter, as he has one of the best left
hooks I've ever seen.

I believe he was just trying to play with the dog, and vice
versa, but my cat doesn't know how to play clean. Anyway,
enough verbiage, on with the picture:

I thumb nailed it because I wanted to keep it at a respectable
size. My friend and I (thank you, Ryan) couldn't capture the
two in mid swing, but I remember that this picture must have been
taken right before the punch came.

Well, the hour for work draws nigh, so I must end this blog for
the week. Thanks for dropping by, I hope that the reading
value has not decreased. I'll see you back here on Monday
morning. There may be additions to the Media Library this
weekend. Happy holidays!

12/18/03

Crunch time.

I told you that the entries would thin out over the space of the
month, but did anyone believe me? Did you listen?
Probably.

My apologies (again) for the delayed entry today. Last
night, Wife and I babysat a child of a friend of ours for about four
hours while they saw The Return of the King. Before the
night was even expired, I felt like a ton of bricks. I
couldn't hardly stay awake, so when the time came for the babe to be
picked up, I hit the bed like a rock and did not stir until morning.

Besides, if I had tried to compose anything last night, it would
have been very sloppy and disjointed. So, depending on
your point of view, I saved you.

At this time, I'm waiting for a certain beta to complete
downloading so that I can begin the installation process. It
was a fairly hefty file, measuring in at just under 250 megabytes.
Reminiscing, I wonder what that would have been like on a dial-up
connection.

Point in fact, it wouldn't. I would not have even tried.

Side note: My cat just lost my last fix of Chappy Stick.
I saw him do it. He batted that thing right underneath the
door of our storage closet. And I'm not going in
there to look for it.

I don't quite understand his fascination with that petroleum
tube, but maybe that's what I should get him for Christmas.
However, knowing him, he'd just get disinterested because he
couldn't pick them out of my pocket anymore.

Oh well, you take what you can get. And I have a cat that's
addicted to Chap Stick.

Tomorrow comes quickly. I must prepare. Good night!

12/17/03

I completely spaced this entry last night, so I'm entering this
blog at about 6:30 in the morning. The sun has not risen; even
the peaks of the mountains do not yet show the burgundy hue of the
dawn.

I sometimes forget the simple beauty of the still morning.
Sitting here in darkness almost persuades me to be something of a
morning person. But I digress, as I completely doubt that this
solitary experience could pull me out of a warm bed.

Wife and I accomplished the majority of the remainder of our
Christmas shopping last night. It's become much harder to shop
for parents now that I no longer have daily contact with them.
The tried and true staple gifts of movies and music no longer apply,
as I haven't any idea what they've been listening to or seeing
lately.

So, I got them a...hmm. Better not list that here, as my
mother or father may have grown wise and learned my site lists such
daily occurances.

Well, the day dawn approaches, and I've still much to do before
work begins. Tomorrow: You can expect something utterly
hilarious (if it turned out ok). Have a great day!

12/16/03

Can't stay and play tonight, folks. I did something to my
back and need the Rx of sleep.

So, all I have to offer is this:

It's an old wallpaper that I created while living in California.
The words are taken from a song by Sting. Enjoy! Be back
tomorrow.

12/15/03

I must say that I'm fairly delighted that this blog hasn't turned
into a chore. I enjoy writing too much for this to become
tiresome. Although I admit that at times, I spend about an
hour conjuring up clever thought. It hasn't yet come to me
that easily.

And I will admit that the entries have been dry at times.
But as of this time, we're striving for quantity over quality.
The value will come soon.

I'm not looking forward to tomorrow. It's been increasingly
difficult to concentrate while at work, a direct result of the
holiday season coupled with being married, I imagine. My mind
wanders with very little effort, and I'm sure that my performance is
lacking in several measurable areas.

However, I have faith that this feeling will surrender itself
after the holidays are spent, as Wife and I will begin counting down
the days until Baby gets here.

It should be noted that I felt the baby kick this past week.
For those who have not yet felt this experience, I apologize.
It is a wholly remarkable feeling. I've been quite jealous
that Wife has felt these tremors lately, as I have waited quite
patiently for this to become strong enough for me to feel.

Now, I can feel it whenever I want to (wife permitting).
I'm still excited and scared at the same time (cliché).
It depends on the day. At times, I can picture it perfectly
and serenely, holding the little infant in my arms and looking into
his eyes.

And still other times, the more worrisome feelings creep into my
head and I don't know how I'll keep up with things.

But in the end, the positive emotions always win, and I have
faith in the fact that this baby will have the best parents
possible.

Countdown status: 10 days. Is everything in order?
We've still got ground to gain. With that said, good look on
your holiday endeavors, and I'll see you back here tomorrow morning.
Sorry, no picture tonight. Tomorrow!